


hypnotized, so mesmerized

by theformerone



Series: naruto femslash week 2018 [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Naruto Femslash Week 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 19:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15825849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theformerone/pseuds/theformerone
Summary: There is no goddamn reason for Sakura's Organic Chemistry TA to be so goddamn attractive.Day 1: Domestic Life/Modern AU





	hypnotized, so mesmerized

Uzumaki Mito is a menace. In a bad way. In a gay way, that absolutely fries Sakura's brain. 

She's a grad student, while Sakura is but a lowly undergrad trying to hop into the fast track program that'll spit her in her first year of med school when she's technically a fourth year at the university. She's been busting her ass ever since she was a freshmen, racking up twenty or more credits a semester and keeping her grades (and her record) absolutely fucking _pristine_ so she can make that happen. 

Sakura wants to be in Doctors Without Borders. She wants to parachute into war torn places and save lives, okay? And not in a savior-y kind of way, but in a Nobody-is-doing-this-work-and-someone-has-to kind of way. She wants to make a concrete difference. 

Sasuke tells her she's going to accidentally kill herself from stress before she's twenty-three. Sakura thinks Sasuke is an idiot and also a loser for following in his dad's footsteps by pursuing Criminology, instead of pulling a total one-eighty like his older brother did when he settled on Philosophy instead. Itachi's on his way to his doctorate now. He's written published papers. He seems happy.

Sasuke, on the other hand, is miserable. Not that he'd ever tell anyone. But Sakura can tell. There's a reason she's his best friend. Only friend, after Naruto. But Naruto is his boyfriend, and therefore, doesn't count. 

So Sasuke has no room to talk. Sakura has this in the bag, alright? Or she would. If her TA weren't so devastatingly attractive. She's always there, during lectures. Being beautiful. And far away. And - beautiful.

Uzumaki Mito took a year off grad school and spent it in the Peace Corps. The _Peace Corps_. She was going to head back when she finished her graduate studies. She was headed for a doctorate in something that Sakura couldn't even pronounce, it was so advanced and interesting. Something to do with genetics and bacteria. Sakura had only been half paying attention at the beginning of the semester when their professor introduced her. She was too busy staring at Mito. Slack-jawed and weak kneed and in love. Obviously. 

She's Naruto's older cousin, which makes things incredibly awkward when Naruto swings by after class to walk with Sakura on their way to lunch and he hugs Mito or gives her a kiss on the cheek. The woman is practically made of stone during class, but when she sees Naruto, she calls him 'anklebiter' and her whole face just kind of  _softens_ in a way that makes Sakura want to soften into a puddle of lovestruck goo on the floor. It isn't _fair_. 

And she's walking this way. She's walking toward Sakura. Which is impossible, because reasons, okay? Reasons. Like Sakura has half a bagel stuffed in her mouth and she's running on four hours of sleep and a five hour energy because midterms are happening and her life is impossible.

"Haruno," she says, stopping in front of Sakura's unassigned assigned seat. 

She'd gotten a little early to class completely by accident. As a freshmen, she arrived five minutes early to everything just in case. But now Sakura was a junior and was potentially going to med school semester after next. She didn't have _time_ for punctuality. 

"Yeah?" Sakura asks, forcing the bite of bagel down her throat before it can choke her. 

Mito lifts an eyebrow and Sakura is pretty sure she's actually going to melt into a puddle and die. But not in the good way. Mito looks - Unhappy. The way she looks at people who turn in their work days past due, demanding full credit. 

"You're slipping."

Sakura's mouth goes dry. 

"It's showing up in your coursework," Mito continues. "And you haven't been showing up to office hours like you did at the start of the semester. Is everything alright?"

Sakura wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and tries not to grimace at the smear of cream cheese that shows up when she does. 

"Yeah, I'm just - y'know, just stressed," she replies. 

Mito nods slowly, drumming her fingers on Sakura's desk. 

"I understand," she says. "You're on the advancement track, so you're killing yourself before you even get into med school."

Sakura rolls her lips together and bites them. Her temper wants to flare, but she isn't sure of what she could say to defend herself. She's gotta get into med school early. She's gotta do everything at least two years ahead and then three times as fast as the next person. Her scholarships depend on it. Her parents can barely afford sending her to college, and the loans are looming. The advancement track would cut her med school tuition in half for the first two years, and she needs that relief. 

"Hey," Mito says, and her voice is lower, quieter. "I'm not judging you. I just wanna help."

Sakura looks up through her bangs, messy and finger combed that same morning. Her hair is up in a disgustingly greasy bun. Meanwhile, Mito looks like a freshly plucked daisy. 

"I was on the advancement track, too," she continues, "before I took my year off and fucked that high to heaven. So I get it. My cousin was, too before she graduated. And Karin, you know her through Naruto? She's in medical administration, but she's pre-med on track for people who _don't_ want to die before thirty. I was thinking you could come over sometime, and we could give you a hand."

Sakura's mouth drops. Mito only smiles. 

"There aren't enough women in the field," Mito elaborates. "Or in our department. We look out for our own."

"I, uh," Sakura stammers.

Karin, Sakura knew. She was Hinata's perpetually exhausted girlfriend. And the only other baby cousin Mito probably had was Senju Tsunade, who was a fucking _legend_ among the undergraduate women in STEM for not only her advancements in the field, but for taking a sexual harassment suit all the way up to the highest court in the land and _winning_. Her case had drastically changed the way women in medicine were treated as students and as professionals. She was a twenty-five year old _hero_. 

"I'd love that," Sakura says. Because an in with Mito and with Tsunade and with Karin was as good as passing this last year of undergrad without breaking a sweat. It also meant she would see Mito's apartment. Which was where she supposedly lived with Tsunade. Naruto had told her about it, in passing once. 

"Great," Mito replies. And she smiles a pretty smile, one that makes Sakura feel hideous in her terrible midterm Can-you-tell-I've-given-up clothes. 

"And maybe later this week, we can get coffee?" 

Sakura's brain stalls. It could be the five hour energy, or her lack of sleep. But she's about forty percent sure Uzumaki Mito just asked her out. 

"I, uh, I mean -," Sakura swallows hard, then nods before she can say anything stupid. "Would love. I love coffee. Yeah."

"Good," Mito says, as if Sakura isn't a fool who is obviously in love with her. "I have your email, so I'll get in touch after midterms. Maybe I can help you study. You look like you could use the help."

"God in hell, _could I_."

It sparks a laugh in Mito's throat, and Sakura's gone. She's _sprung_. And she has a _study date_. 


End file.
